vic622

I'm in the process of setting up my first SW tank, a 45gal with a 29gal sump/refugium.

The stocking plan, so far, is Bengaii cardinals (2,3 or 4), and a goby-shrimp pair after cycling.

I'm also thinking of getting a detritivore kit

http://www.inlandaquatics.com/prod/prod_detrit.html

to kick-start the sand bed & red mangroves for the refugium.

I'm think of a deep sand bed, 3"-4", and was wondering about the live rock.

With a deep bed, how much live rock will I need and how much of it can I replace with tufa?

Vic

I hear you!

I've been doing DIY for 3yrs and the hassle factor is just not worth it anymore.

I got the same tank, now, as you - I just need to get it filled and everything hooked up.

I like this tank, even fits behind the seat in my pickup

Right now it'll be on a 33gal and maybe on my 29gal running with a solenoid - so like you said it should last months instead of days or weeks compared to the DIY.

vic

I really don't know what names are attached to which sizes. I bought a bottle measuring about fourteen inches tall. Used sparingly 24 hrs. a day in a 75 it will go about two months or more. I would not recommend any size to bulky to wrestle around. I just did not want you to travel so far just to have someone sell you a paint-ball reservoir that would need refilling every fiftysix hours!

I am buying - a 15lb-er I think.

Watching our welder at work trying to lift big tanks, I think it wouldn't be too much fun getting it up the stairs into the house - but I guess I could leave it outside & run lines to the tanks

But seriously, if I can trust them to take care of my tank, I won't have too much problem with an exchange for a full one. It's just getting the first fill that I need.

Vic

Cranbrook to Calgary is leap enough! Two points @ one cent each gets you my two cents worth

• Buy (not rent) your own bottle
  
• make it a big one
  

With a "customer owned bottle" I am exchanged and out of Praxair in five minutes.

If you a having that much trouble finding service, how often are you looking for that headache.

Yes, a tall one will cost you an arm and most of one leg; but if your into it and having that kind of trouble finding supply

Why muck about?

I was afraid of that.

I wonder if Praxair or AirLiquide would fill it and bring it to their outlet in Cranbrook?

Vic

There are a few places that could do it right away (if they felt like it), but all appear to be closed on Saturday. I usually have to wait a few days to get mine refilled.

I'm going to be in Calgary for one day picking up some things, including a CO2 setup (I'm finally taking the big leap), and the tank will need filling.

They don't fill them in Cranbrook anymore (they ship them to Calgary for filling), so does anyone know who will fill it in Calgary?

On a Saturday?

Addresses & phone numbers would be a big help, too. I don't have a Calgary phonebook.

Thanks,

Vic

Just thought I'd finish this off with an update & observations ...

The idea seemed good but the implementation not so good

I used a small screw-lid bottle (about 100ml) and filled it about half-way with sand.

I cut the inner portion of the lid out so that it looked like a mason jar lid without the glass.

I then used a small threaded/barbed fitting for drip irrigation, cut a hole (~1/4") and threaded the fitting in along with a bit of silicone to seal it CO2-tight.

I cut a piece of the membrane that was over-sized for the hole in the cap and very carefully installed this and the cap.

Trial - 1

Even with the sand the contraption wanted to float as soon as the bottle filled with CO2

Trial - 2

Completely wet the sand and filled the bottle with water and retried - Success! :thumbs:

Problems!!!

No matter how careful I was installing the cap/membrane there always seemed to be at least 1-2 larger holes where the CO2 came out at a faster rate. This stream of bubbles (~1-2mm diameter) were obviously larger than desired.

Conclusion

I think the membrane was the culpret as the larger holes were often in the field of the membrane, not close to the edge/lid. I believe the quality of the membrane was not consistant and so there were thick and thin spots, throughout. If I could find a good section it would work as I observed micro-bubbles in other areas of the membrane once the bottle developed some pressure.

The biggest problem with further experimenting was the time to change and reset the rig. If I was using a CO2 tank instead of DIY, it might have gone faster, though.

Finally, I took the contraption out and used the barbed fitting to feed the CO2 into the bottom of my quick-filter on an Aqua Clear power head - Works great.

Happy-planting,

Vic

Sometimes i wonder if I know how to Google ...

I looked up E. parvula & look what I got (kinda big for foreground, isn't it?) -roll-

Vic

Eucalyptus parvula

Update:

Well I put together a unit using a small plastic juice bottle (for lunches), a threaded/barbed fitting and the center cut out of the lid (think of a Mason jar).

I filled the bottle about 1/2 full of old ~4mm pebbles, attached the CO2 line and put the membrane material in place, held on by the lid.

I'll need to add more pebbles, it wants to float.

There is a small stream of bubbles <1mm of CO2 from one location on the membrane, leading me to think there is a very small pinhole at that location.

I'll try a new piece on the next days off, and I'll post some pictures.

It has promise, but I think it needs a bit more tinkering.

Vic

Jason this is too bizarre ...

In my Cherry Shrimp Ranch, also a 10gal, I am having exactly the opposite problem!

My Java Moss is going gang busters, the Riccia is maintaining & the Glosso has died out

The big difference is that I have a lush carpet of the small leaved Salvinia (from you) on the surface.

I've got 2x13watt CF lighting, dosing Flourish daily & Excel every 2nd day.

Maybe the Salvinia is taking enough of the potency out to not adversely affect the others & I think the Glosso is not doing well 'cause it's not getting enough light.

Vic

I just came accross this on GE's website thought it might be of interest.

Vic.

For once I'm glad to live in the boonies

In Cranbrook there is a everything-for-everybody indoor-outdoor plant & farm & pet (etc, etc, etc) store that carries it by the bag (10lb I think) for about $5 and they always have it in stock.

If ever you need a bag or two, PM me and I'll bring it along on my next trip to Calgary (Usually about once a month).

Vic

I was looking at the two AllGlass tops Zoban posted & thinking it would be nice to replace the (wood) stick props that hold the lid open with 1-2 small cylinders like the ones used for minivan hatches ... unless they're too stong & turn the lid into a catapult, of course

Vic

Well I picked up some GoreTex from FabricLand, now I just need to rig up a bell-jar of some sort to see what happens.

I keep y'all posted.

Vic

Has anyone seen or used a membrane-type CO2 reactor?

I saw this CO2 Double Membrane Reactor Aqualine Buschke on All-Aquatics website

and it sounds like its just a strip of GoreTex between the CO2 inlet side & the tank water.

There is a single-membrane style rated to 50gal and a double-membrane rated to 100gal. I wonder if this would diffuse the CO2 better than Japanese-style cintered glass cups?

So I was wondering if a guy could take an old coat and do a DIY version ... ?

Just a thought,

Vic

Yeah you could, but I think with a 3.5hr drive (1-way) you might want to consider it as a day-trip

Yeah, they really nail you if you have to use their brokerage services.

Luckily I'm about 20 miles from the Montana border and its another 5 miles to a place in Eureka, Montana that acts as a freight drop (USPS, UPS, FedEx).

If I leave home after lunch, pick up a parcel, have a coffee, fuel up, do the customs workup, pay the duty and still be back in time to make supper

That is, unless I do a trip to the Libby Dam like I did last week - round trip 5 hrs LOL

Vic

Aequidens rivulatus - Green Terrors - about to put another batch of fry in the safe house.

Microgeophagus altispinosus - Bolivian Red Rams - as soon as I can catch 'em they'll be in with the other fry.

Vic

The Beverage Factory (California)

http://www.beveragefactory.com

has 5 lb. Aluminum Co2 Tank Reg Price: $63.95/Sale Price: $60.75 and 2-Guage regulators from $37-45US and the shipping was reasonable @ 10.50 (FedEx-gnd to Montana) and when I used their calculator it gave another 5% discount? for a total of $108.18US.

They also have 2.5lb tanks for $56 - all new & aluminum with Tranport Canada ratings.

This sounds pretty good, no?

Vic

Werner ...it's a good deal, but his shipping is $$$$$

$30US to Edmonton & $20US to the Montana border! I imagine the cost to Calgary would be closer to the Edmonton price thatn the Montana one ....

Ooooouch

Vic

Thinking toward the future ...

Is there an adaptor that can be used between a paintball tank and a standard CO2 tank regulator?

That way I can upgrade to a regular tank later (if I want to) without having to buy a new regulator.

Just a thought,

Vic

Well, I'm gonna make the leap from 2-litre coke bottles to cylinders, regulators etc....

Has anybody used the Red Sea CO2 Pro System (Paintball) from Big Al's? What do you think of it?

Short of buying all the parts separately (I want to go with the 20oz paintball tank due to space limitations), what do you recommend for equipment & what would you recommend to steer clear of?

I live close to the CDN/USA border, so I'll be able to buy either from Canadian suppliers, or get something out of the States if the exchange is better - I've already noticed that the Red Sea system (above) is $220Cdn or $130US on each of Big Al's sites, so there are for sure some big buck differences if I shop State-side.

Thanks,

Vic

Bowing to your great work,

I'm inspired to get my tanks onto something classy like these!

Vic

How much are you selling them for? I'm in Cranbrook too.

Hi Fishnut,

How does $5/ea or 6 for $20 strike you?

They are about 2 months old right now and looking strong. Since I put them on NLS Grow, they've started to pick up the turquoise/green highlights and the spots on their fins.

BTW, I'm out Jaffray way.

Vic

P.S. - I've PM'd you.

I have a pair of GTs, the white edged ones White Saum. I would love to add a pair of the red edged ones like yours Vic, they are really nice. I like how the tail comes to a point on yours. Sue

Hi Sue,

I've seen lots of pictures of the males, but not many with as distinct a tail as his. This pic doesn't do him justice - it's actually neon orange edging - hard to get the colour shift right. The female has the same coloration, without the pointy tail, in a slightly smaller package

Vic

Very nice. I know there is an Aquidens species at the Red Deer Petland, but not those.....diadema, maybe it was?

I got my pair from Franco's in Calgary about a year ago, before I moved across the mountains. All I can say is that they are far and away the most impressive fish in any of my tanks and not nearly as aggresive as the African species.

I looked at some pics of the diadema's, and they seem to have the same body shape, but not nearly as much colour as the rivulatus'.

Vic